Hard Drive is not accessible “Access is denied”

By | October 1, 2021

‘Hard Drive is not accessible. One of the most common faults that renders hard drives inaccessible and, in the worst-case scenario, results in data loss is ‘Access is denied.’ You will find the remedies to the problem in this blog.

A computer’s hard disc is one of the most important storage components. Text, photos, audio, movies, and other types of data are all stored in it. Any issue with these hard drives could result in the inaccessibility of the data stored on them. Various error messages frequently support such inaccessibility. “The hard drive is not accessible” is one of the most prevalent error messages that render hard drives inaccessible. “Access has been denied.

What does the error “Access is Denied” mean?

The error message Hard Drive is not accessible implies that there is an issue with the hard disc that has rendered it unusable. In the worst-case scenario, data could be lost.

How do I fix access denied external hard drive?

The problems stated above can occur in a variety of settings and with various operating system versions. The hard disc has become corrupt, according to the error message.

You can use one of the two options listed below to get out of the situation:

There are two types of methods: automatic and manual.

1. How Can Hard Drive is not accessible Error Be Fixed Automatically?

Hard drive formatting will be the sure-fire solution to solve inaccessibility problems. However, the data you’ve saved could be hacked, and you could lose access to it forever. You can use data recovery apps to retrieve data from an inaccessible hard drive without changing the file properties to avoid losing data.

2. How Can I Manually Fix This Error?

  1. a) If you’re using Windows 10,

If you’re using Windows 10, you can access your inaccessible drive by following the steps below:

  • Right-click on the inaccessible drive and select Properties.
  • Go to the ‘Properties’ tab now.
  • Select ‘Security’ from the drop-down menu and click the ‘Edit button.
  • As illustrated in the image below, the “Permissions for New Volume (E:)” dialogue box displays. To continue, click the ‘Add’ button.
  • Click OK to create a new user named ‘Authenticated User.’
  • Give the newly added user “full control” in the permissions area and click “OK.”
  • There will be two options in the dialogue box: ‘Continue’ or ‘Cancel.’
  • Finally, press Cancel after pressing Continue…
  • You’re finished now.

b) If you’re using Windows 7,

If you’re using Windows 7, and you’re using Homegroup, and you’ve shared a root drive E: and then you’ve left the Homegroup, you can see that problem. This condition would prevent you from accessing the shared drive and display the following error message.

To fix this problem, open Windows Explorer and perform the following steps:

  • Select the inaccessible hard drive with a right-click.
  • Then choose Properties.
  • Go to the Security tab and select Advanced from the drop-down menu.
  • Go to the Owner tab and select ‘Edit.’
  • Ownership of the desired account can be changed.

If you are unable to access any file or folder on a Windows 7 drive, you can also attempt the following option.

  • Select the inaccessible file or folder with a right-click.
  • Then choose Properties.
  • The Security tab should be selected.
  • Under “group or username,” click your name. This will display the access permissions you have to the file and folder.

You might also use the following technique:

  • For an inaccessible hard drive, change the drive letter.
  • Execute the command below: I: chkdsk/r chkdsk/r chkdsk/r chkdsk/r chkdsk/r chkdsk/r chkdsk/r chkdsk/r chkdsk/r chkdsk/r chkdsk/r
  • Attempt to access the HDD by booting into safe mode.
  • In Windows 7 Ultimate and Home Premium, try accessing the HDD.
  • Because the chkdsk command erased the files that were creating the problem, you will be able to access the drive.

(c) If you’re using Windows Vista,

When dealing with Windows Vista, you may have a similar problem.

Windows Vista, like Windows 7, allows you to check the rights of a file or folder.

  • Right-click the file or folder and select Properties.
  • Select Security from the drop-down menu.
  • By clicking your name from usernames or groups, you can see what permissions you have.

You can also see if the problem is caused by an encrypted file by following the instructions listed below.

  • Select the inaccessible hard drive with a right-click.
  • Then choose Properties.
  • Select Advanced from the General menu.
  • Check whether the encrypt checkbox is checked or not.
  • If that’s the case, you’ll need the certificate that was used to encrypt the file in order to open it. The person who creates the file oversees the encryption certificate.

For Windows editions where the Encrypting File System (EFS) isn’t completely supported, you’ll need an encryption key or certificates. Windows Vista Starter, Windows Vista Home Basic, and Windows Vista Home Premium, for example, do not support it, thus you won’t be able to follow the procedures following.

  • Open a Command Prompt window.
  • To decrypt the file, type Cipher.exe /d at the command prompt.
  • Change the file that has been encrypted.
  • Copy the decrypted file to the hard drive of your computer.
  • Import EFS certificates and keys.
  • Open a Command Prompt window.
  • To back up EFS certificates and keys, use Cipher.exe /r.

d) If you’re using Windows XP,

If you used an earlier version of Windows to build a volume based on the NTFS file system and then installed Windows XP, you may encounter the “Access is denied” issue.

The user’s security ID changes when the operating system version updates. Because the security ID of the person who created the folder was different from a previous version of Windows, even if you use the same login and password, you will not be able to open the folder after performing the instructions below.

Before installing Windows XP professional, the location of the ‘My Documents folder was modified.

Format the primary partition before installing Windows XP Professional.

Turn off Simple File Sharing and assume ownership of the folder to resolve the issue.

  • Go to ‘My Computer’ and click on it.
  • To view a folder, go to Tools->Folder->View.
  • Clear the “Use simple file sharing” checkbox in Advanced Settings.
  • Click the OK button.
  • Right-click the folder you want to take control of and select Properties.
  • Select Security from the drop-down menu.
  • If a security message appears, click OK.
  • Select Advanced->Owner from the drop-down menu.
  • In the name list, select your username.
  • Click the OK button.
  • If an error notice appears, select ‘Yes.’
  • Click the OK button.
  • Reapply the security and permissions settings.